I wonder if even with high sales, NBoC is still heavily dependent on funds from various governmental organizations and private donors. Funds which might not have been available this year, thus making the tour too risky.

The suggestions of keeping NBoC as an east coast company may not be so far-fetched. With fewer funds, perhaps it's wiser for national and provincial funds to be used to support companies in the various areas - Ballet BC, Alberta Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and NBoC, rather then on touring. NBoC would still likely be the premiere company in terms of size and in international touring, but like NYCB, without much focus on long-distance national tours. I think extensive tours may start to be out of the picture for all but the few big companies with extensive government or donor funding - even ABT is having to cut back and that's not ideal given their recent claims to be America's national company.

This is all sad but at least the National downsized their performances before tickets went on sale-Unlike the Stratford Festival (I don’t like the ‘Shakespeare’ in the middle). Theatergoers were encouraged to purchase tickets as early as December 13, 2008 for 2009 along with accommodations before the entire season sold right out!

My crystal ball sees HDTV at home big screen Plasma TVs causing smaller companies to close down leaving us with just the big companies playing in their home venue and broadcasting popular ballets.

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

The National has posted a sneak preview of an upcoming Toronto Life photo spread featuring Bridgett Zehr and Naoya Ebe. According to the article Miss Zehr will dance the title role of Giselle and has attained the status of prima ballerina! If the above is true, I suspect she will be promoted to principal.

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

For those of us who've never seen this version, can the NBoC regulars here give us a preview of the highlights (and and lowlights) of Giselle. Though I've only seen it on DVD, I adore Sir Peter Wright's "Swan Lake", so I'm intrigued to see his take on "Giselle".

“You know what memories you’ll take home when you see "Giselle": alabaster ballerinas, blowing mist, silent acting, love, life, death, afterlife, this, that, and a whole lot more. It’s a classic, the Hamlet of ballet. "Giselle" first premiered in Paris at the Théâtre de l’Académie Royale de Musique on June 28th, 1841. Quite an artistic enterprise keeping a ballet alive for 163 years! The players who first graced the stage (Carlotta Grisi as Giselle and Lucien Petipa as Albrecht) have long been forgotten. The music rarely receives air play. Indeed, even classical music aficionados wrinkle their foreheads, stumped at the mere mention of the ballet’s composer, Adolphe Adam. The writer responsible for the fabled theme of the Wilis, Heinrich Heine, is only known in his homeland of Germany.”

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

The National will once again be hosting their gala (now White Hot instead of Mad Hot) June 18 6:30 p.m. and then free cocktails and appetizers from 7:30 to 9:00. Tickets can be gobbled up for as low as $20 if you’re willing to hike to the top of the Four Seasons! Click HERE for my review of last year’s MAD HOT Gala!

Quote:

“As if...there was any doubt that Heather Ogden was H-O-Double-T HOTT, the Mad Hot Gala II program featured this ballerina hottie blonde bombshell all ablaze-A fireball engulfing the cover from her pointe shoes! The above fiery image was also featured on the southwest corner of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts courtesy of some lovestruck sidewalk chalk artist. Too bad Mother Nature will eventually wash away his artwork homage to the priceless beauty of Heather Ogden.

Never before had I climbed to the dizzying heights of Ring 5, and yet, somehow, I made it to my seat sans oxygen mask and hiking boots. The Mönch like climb to my balletic Mount Eiger was well worth it to feast tired orbs upon this hot Jungfrau! Fortunately, I didn’t forget my opera glasses, suffer any nose bleeds, and found my way to the special post-performance reception to quaff down cocktails and gobble up hors d’oeuvres without the aid of a Saint Bernard! How I suffer for my art! Okay, I had a Frasier Crane moment.”

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

I guess they're facing up to reality and the fact that most of us can't afford $150 for good seats. I know I could spend much less in the fifth ring, but since I don't own a telescope, I'll stick to the rush seats for now.

"You have to stay so focused and driven," says Goh about the life she is about to leave. She kept quiet about a car accident in Vancouver in recent years that left her with injuries that kept her off the stage. "I didn't want it to be a crutch," she says, and kept working behind the scenes until ready to return to pointe shoes. Now she can leave at the height of her acting and dancing ability, which, sadly, comes to ballet dancers when their bodies tell them there are only so many spectacular jumps left in them.

_________________The world revolves around the beauty of the ballerina.

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